


The Couch

by Tui_and_La



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Royai early years
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-13
Updated: 2018-04-13
Packaged: 2019-04-22 01:46:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14298084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tui_and_La/pseuds/Tui_and_La
Summary: For someone who grew up surrounded by people in the busy Central City and had never been in the country before, the Hawkeyes' house was... old. And dark. And lifeless.





	The Couch

**Author's Note:**

> I'm linking [this fanart](https://niktropolis.deviantart.com/art/Warmth-461349559) simply because it's lovely and I happened to come across it at the time I was writing this (I love tiny coincidences like this).

Roy knocked on the door, his other hand clutching his heavy suitcase, excitement building in his chest. He heard footsteps approach the other side, followed by a click on the door handle. He looked up expectantly, filled his lungs with confidence and prompted a rehearsed salute. 

Then a child appeared in front of him. 

Taken aback, Roy did nothing but study the girl standing there. She was tiny, with very short blond hair and a simple, apathetic dress. Her round amber eyes were studying him back. 

\- Good afternoon. - she said in a low, polite voice. 

\- Err, hi, good afternoon. - he replied with a bit of embarrassment, realizing he was probably in the wrong place. - I was looking for Berthold Hawkeye's house? 

\- Yes, it's here. And you are...?

Wait, did that mean the man had a _daughter_?

\- Roy Mustang, his new apprentice. - a trace of pride escaped in his words.

\- Oh, that's right, the boy who was coming for the test. Please, come in, Mr. Mustang. - indifferent, she turned around to lead the way. 

\- Thank you, just call me "Roy". Wait, did you say _test_? - he realized while following her steps. 

He hadn't been informed about a test. Or pretty much anything, in fact. 

\- Yes. Father is in the library right behind the stairs. Knock twice, then go in. Good luck. - she gave him a shy, but encouraging smile.

-Thanks again, but I wasn't prepared for any test, what's it like? 

That was his one and only chance, and Roy was prepared to show all his potential, however, the idea of a surprise test wasn't in any way inviting. Even State Alchemists had a chance to study for the certificate tests. 

\- If you don't know, why would I? - she wore a genuinely confused expression. - Don't be nervous, Mr. Mustang. - so she _was_ going to carry on with the formalities. - He seemed excited to meet you. He wouldn't if he didn't believe in you. 

And with that, she tilted her head indicating for him to proceed. 

Roy stared down the hall ahead of him. The house looked old and the smell confirmed it. It was also colorless and badly lit. He advanced, thinking of the information he had received from Lieutenant General Grumman. Roy knew that Berthold Hawkeye did research on his own, for he despised the idea of joining the army. However, he didn't know the man had a daughter-oh, he had forgotten to ask her name! And now she was out of his sight. He had not been warned of any tests either, but the old man had pointed out that Hawkeye was a reclusive and mysterious man, who had no interest in knowing the details of the lives of others. Roy had understood the message and prepared several answers to possible questions. Apart from that, all the boy had was one letter from the alchemist himself confirming that he should come to his house on that weekend. 

Once again, Roy stopped in front of the door and filled his lungs with confidence. He would pass the test, whatever it was.

Two knocks and he went in. The room was just like everything else and it would have been brighter if it wasn't for the many bookshelves filled up to their capacities. He was starting to get a feeling of emptiness from that house, which made him miss the life in the capital. Behind the only desk there, Roy found the alchemist surrounded by the papers he was now quickly trying to organize and put away. Lit by the lamp, the man's features blended with the brown pallet of the room. And he was nothing like the little girl besides the blond hair and the apathetic clothes. His eyes were narrow, but with a lively curiosity that contrasted with her wide, uninterested eyes, and his face was angled and thin. 

\- Excuse me, Master Hawkeye.

\- Sure, you're Roy Mustang, I assume.

\- Very honored to be accepted as your pupil, sir. 

\- You haven't been. Not yet. You came here so I can take a good look at you. 

\- And it's a pleasure to meet you, sir. - the boy hurried to add, willing not to lose his posture.

\- You're sixteen, are you not? So you're at school. 

\- Yes, that's correct.

\- Why now? What's the hurry to learn alchemy? You could simply finish school first, then dedicate yourself to it.

So that conversation was turning into an interview, Roy noticed. 

\- Why wait, though? You're looking for a student and I'm looking for a master. I can go to school during the week and study alchemy on the weekends, you'll see I'm dedicated. Alchemy has been my favorite hobby for a while now, and I think it's my passion. So why not invest in it? I'm sure there's something good that I can contribute to the world through alchemy. 

\- And have you ever wondered what that contribution might be?

The right answer was _nothing related to the army_. 

\- It could be a lot of things, but the advance of science is the foundation for most things we have, isn't it?

\- You have a lot to learn, kid. Science for the sake of science is not appreciated in this world, or I wouldn't be here unemployed now, would I? 

_Sometimes it's better to be underestimated, kid._

\- One is all. All is one. - the master suddenly changed the subject. - Keep that in mind, you'll figure what it means eventually.

\- One is all and all is one. - he repeated. 

Was that the test?

\- Did you come ready to stay for the night, as I told you?

\- Yes, sir.

\- Very well, then, you're free to settle in, take a walk, whatever you want to do until dinnertime. Then I'll introduce you to some of the books I've separated for you. Tomorrow, I'll see what you know of alchemy. Oh, I should warn you that we cannot provide a room for you, since I've turned one of our guest rooms into a laboratory and the other into a small library so I could have easier access from the lab. Riza even proposed that you should stay in her room, and she'd sleep on the couch on the weekends, but I do not approve of the idea. 

\- Absolutely, sir, the couch should be fine.

\- Yes, you'll see it is very comfortable and I'm sure Riza prepared it for you. 

\- I appreciate it. 

It couldn't be so bad to sleep on a couch just for the weekend, Roy concluded. 

\- So, if you'll excuse me...

\- Sure. - the man nodded, and it seemed like he was already transporting himself away from their meeting and back to his notes. 

That was it, then, Roy thought on his way to the living room. The man surely was eccentric, but then again, everything in that house was. The boy wasn't sure whether he'd made a good impression of himself, but he still had all his abilities in alchemy to present.

Back to the living room, the boy decided to take a good look around the place reserved for him. Placed in the center, and filling up a considerable space in the wide hall, was the couch, facing the fireplace. It was covered in a soft, dark red blanket and it had two large cushions on the sides and a smaller one on the center, perfect to make for a pillow. Roy pushed the cushion to the left in order to sit down and found underneath it a folded blanket that he concluded should be used to cover himself. The smell was refreshing and stood out as new and clean. He wondered what the couch truly looked like under the cover, but he was sure he'd like it better the way it had been presented. So instead, he turned his attention to the furniture. 

To start with, there was an oddly misplaced dresser with two drawers and a mirror by the fireplace. The wood was lighter in comparison to everything else, and the stool was missing. He wouldn't need one, though. It was evident that the furniture had been moved to that environment - along with the clean blankets - so he could have a place where to put his belongings. Aware of that, Roy was now excited to investigate the entire room. The oval coffee table in front of the couch had an strategically placed flower vase, he guessed, trying to add some color but still too small to make much of a difference. Finally, there was a floor lamp beside the couch just begging to be turned on and bring some light to the... 

\- What did you think?

Roy almost fell from the couch as the girl's subtle voice emerged from behind him. After a second to catch his breath, he turned around to face her like nothing had happened.

\- Oh, it's great. - he nodded, moving his hands around. - The couch is large, very comfortable, and it smells good. This is perfect for a pillow. Thanks a lot, I promise I'll keep everything tidy...

\- Ah, there's no need, make yourself home. - she smiled. - There you can put what's in your handbag, and here you put all the books you have, and you can also sit on the cushions on the floor when you wanna study by the table. 

\- Is that what you do? When you study here?

For a moment he felt like a stranger slipping into personal space, stealing her sanctuary. However, he quickly realized that the glow in her eyes was telling a different story. She seemed, in fact, happy to welcome him with the best she could offer and eager to share that place with someone.

\- Personally, I like it. I wouldn't mind sleeping here but...

\- No, really, I'm fine without a room. - he interrupted in order to reassure her. - Your name's Riza, right?

She nodded. 

\- But should I call you _little Miss Hawkeye_? - he teased.

And got no reaction from her except for a shrug.

\- If you want to.

Roy rolled his eyes. Ok, so maybe he wasn't very good at talking to kids when he'd always interacted with older people.

\- Dinner's at six-thirty. - she informed. - And, look, even though you're in the living room, you'll see it's always quiet here, no one's gonna bother you.

\- Don't worry, privacy is not really a thing back home. - Roy laughed, thinking about the women who'd be waiting to hear detailed stories about his first weekend away from home.

Riza nodded, already on her way upstairs. 

As quickly as she'd appeared, she vanished in the dark on the next floor, leaving Roy with a frown. 

_Such weird people_. 

At least the couch was cozy.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope this works as a one-shot, since I won't promise to add more chapters. What I wanted was to explore Roy's first impressions on the new environment and the Hawkeyes, and that's there already. :)  
> Consider reading [Synesthesia](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13568271) if you'd like more Royai.


End file.
